


Breathe Me

by kate_mckinnon



Series: The Hope Hunter [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi, Terrible writing, This is terrible, but i'm gonna do it anyways, i guess that applies to the canons as well, i mean the canon ones are canon but, most of this is actually just background shipping, srry, the ones with the ocs are whatever you make them, you can interpret these ships as whatever you want
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-12-24 11:05:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12011400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate_mckinnon/pseuds/kate_mckinnon
Summary: Introducing Kasey Hope and her hunter family.





	1. The New Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x01. "Pilot"

"So . . . What about this was so interesting you woke me up for it, hm?" Beatrice slurred slightly as she took her first sip of coffee, tossing the printed article back on the coffee table as her eyes lazily trailed back to Kasey. Bee's black hair was disheveled and pulled back into a short ponytail to keep it from going in her eyes.  
Kasey looked at her incredulously before picking up the article dejectedly. "You're kidding me, right? Are we even reading the same thing?" Just that morning, there had been a news report about a missing couple, snatched from their car, blood splattered on the ground near it. In Kasey's honest opinion, it sounded like a big deal. It sounded like a vampire attack.  
"Yeah. A missing persons case. Big deal." Bee took another sip. "People go missing all the time." She continued, sighing with all her might into her cup, making ripples on the surface. "Please don't tell me you're about to reach this far in front of the Masters, you know how much Anastasia hates when there are false alarms like this." It would've seemed rather peculiar to anyone eavesdropping on this particular conversation that they were calling their grandparents by their first names, and even more odd that they otherwise addressed their family members as "Masters," but to both Bee and Kasey, this was a common occurrence.  
Kasey bowed her head, looking up at Bee through her eyelashes and gritting her teeth in apparent frustration. "I'm not an idiot, Beatrice. That's why I wanted to run this by you first. To make sure I wasn't imagining things. But, in your opinion, it seems I was." She murmured, and Bee sighed deeply, but quietly, through her nostrils.   
"It looks normal to me. Like I said, people go missing all the time. Their bodies will pop up at some point, or, by some miracle, they'll turn up alive for once. And, despite what you may think, blood at a crime scene doesn't always mean vampires, and you're exceedingly awful at finding actual vampires when it comes to these news stories," Bee paused, taking another slow sip as Kasey lifted her chin up again and locked eyes with her. Bee's glare of annoyance had softened.   
"Just let it go, Kase. I know you want to play hero, and that time will come. When we find one, you can take it down all by yourself if you want. But for now . . ." She trailed off, and Kasey pouted involuntarily, crumpling up the paper mercilessly and throwing it into the trashcan nearby. Bee looked at her watch with a low hum as Kasey turned back around to look at her.   
"What?" She snapped as Bee drained the rest of her cup and smacked her lips. "No need for all that- but isn't today the first day of school for you?" She inquired, tilting her head as a few strands of her silky black hair came away from her attempted ponytail. Kasey eyed her warily.   
"Yes. Why?" She replied slowly. Bee shrugged nonchalantly. "You'd better get going then," she paused, gesturing to Kasey's worn-out pajamas, "because it's seven thirty now." Kasey sighed, shoulders still drooping, and trudged up the grand wooden staircase to her room. There was a few minutes of cold nakedness before she decided on an appropriate outfit, and after that point, the rest of her process to get ready went by in a blur.  
Even though Beatrice had dismissed the thought of vampires coming back to Mystic Falls, Kasey couldn't shake this feeling- the possibility of the Salvatores returning to their hometown during her lifetime wasn't exactly foreign, was it? But, then again, she had never actually seen a vampire in the flesh before, and when she really thought about it, she couldn't imagine why an immortal bloodsucking fiend would come to a quiet, small town rather than a huge city, pulsing with life. It just didn't make any logical sort of sense to her.   
Of course, Mystic Falls was beautiful, and now that she was ready for school, all packed and dressed up, sitting on the porch, looking out into the woods, she could see it more than ever. She couldn't imagine going anywhere else- she couldn't even think of it. This was where her life was. This was her town, her responsibility, her job, and her life. How could she ever fathom leaving? What else could possibly be out there for her? All she knew was the hunt. She was almost dependent on it at this point. And wasn't that how it was supposed to be? She had been looking over this town and its people for her entire life along with the rest of her family, other than Marian. This was what she was supposed to do. Forever.  
Her thoughts were interrupted momentarily when her phone beeped in her backpack. She hastily unzipped it and got it out, seeing a text from Bonnie when she opened it. _'You coming today?'_ Kasey clicked back an answer momentarily. _'Yeah. I'll be there in a bit.'_ She waited for a moment, chewing her lower lip before typing out another text. _'Is Elena coming?'_ She zipped her bag back up and threw the strap over one shoulder before starting to walk. Her phone chimed.  
 _'Yeah, she's with me. She's okay.'_ Kasey breathed a sigh of relief out of her nose before sending a response. _'Good.'_  
Elena Gilbert was one of the few people in the Mystic Falls population that Kasey actually knew throughout her childhood. They were friends, like Elena was with everyone, really . . . She was funny, and bright, and kind- who wouldn't want to be friends with her? As the years went on, Kasey noticed something developing in her heart- she thought she was wrong for it, and kept it hidden, kept it safe, where no one would ever find it. She was content with being just friends with Elena anyways. She just yearned to be there for her, and Elena let her be there.  
Kasey hadn't seen Elena all summer, though, because of an accident on the 23rd of May- Kasey's birthday, actually. Elena's parents died, and Elena was left an orphan, along with her brother Jeremy. Since then, Elena hadn't been very social, which was understandable. At first, she had to physically recover from the crash, and after that point . . . Kasey assumed she had to do another type of recovery.  
So she left her alone. Hoped that her feelings that she harbored for the girl would extinguish themselves, because she really, truly knew that Elena would not be able to, or should not have to deal with another unrequited love from which end she was receiving. She knew it would only make her feel worse. Elena was a people-pleaser. When she couldn't give them what they wanted, it pained her. Kasey wasn't about to let her stupid heart cause this.  
She thought that she would've gotten over it by now, that the prolonged amount of time without her friend would have maybe caused it to fade, but the second she saw those warm brown eyes peering at her from over Bonnie's shoulder, the second she saw that smile and heard her voice saying "Hey, Kasey!" she knew nothing had changed at all. She raked her fingers through her long blonde hair as she walked over, giving Elena a half-smile and asking how she was. She watched the girl closely and there was a beat before Elena replied. There was a certain emptiness in her eyes when she replied. There was a soft sigh. And Kasey noticed it all.  
Soon enough, the first bell rang and they were all off to their respective classes. There was something wrong, though. She could almost sense it. A feeling of dread was hanging in the air right in front of her, and that was when she saw him. The new guy. She could tell he was new because this was a small town- everybody knew everybody, but she did not know him. He, the stranger who appeared within a week of that couple going missing. He, who if he had not been walking past a window, she would have believed was a vampire. Who was he? Why was he here? She rushed off to her class before he could look in her direction, long blonde hair whipping behind her.


	2. The First Girl Bitten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x01. "Pilot"

The rest of the day went by all too quickly, and though Kasey had not seen even a hair of Stefan Salvatore for it, there were whispers coming from everywhere- everyone was talking about him. Him and Elena Gilbert. She wasn't going to lie, hearing all this about Elena hanging out with the new guy stung her, but that wasn't the point. Who really was this guy? She'd heard about him participating in icebreakers in class- she'd heard all this bull about his favorite color and his zodiac, but nothing she really found substantial. So, the next day after school, she and Bee plotted.

"You're absolutely sure this boy's name is Stefan Salvatore?" Bee inquired, and Kasey nodded vigorously. "Absolutely sure. I've heard everyone talking about him for two days now. I'm sure. The same name as the younger brother, isn't it?" She spoke quickly. Her thoughts were running a mile a minute, so fast that her mouth couldn't keep up. She was desperate to find some idea, find a plan to make. This was her first time doing a proper hunt, after all. She knew there was a high probability he was just a human in the wrong place at the wrong time, but she couldn't allow herself to take that risk. She was anxious.

"Yes," Bee answered uneasily, "that is the name of the vampire." She paused briefly, her eyes scanning the room, and Kasey's stomach lurched from nerves. "What is it?" She asked urgently, and Bee bit her lip. "How would you feel about going to a party?"

And less than an hour later, Kasey was already regretting this outfit change. "Nobody even dresses up for these types of parties anymore. They just hang out and make out in the forest." Kasey grumbled to no avail, as Bee was too focused on making sure that Kasey's small array of weaponry was unable to be seen through her jacket. "Okay," Bee paused, stepping back after a moment and surveying her. "Just make sure not to flap your arms too wildly." Kasey narrowed her eyes, nodding sarcastically. "Oh, yeah, 'cause I totally take off in flight like a fucking bird every day. Jesus, don't worry about it." Bee just smirked.

"Shut up, kid. Now, go to your damn party." Bee replied, slapping her lightly on the back. Kasey picked her phone up off the bed and tucked it in her pocket, but before she could leave the room, Bee caught her arm. "What?" Kasey inquired, her brow furrowed as Bee chewed her lip rather nervously. It wasn't very common to see Bee anxious. Kasey's green eyes tried to search hers, but Bee evaded her gaze.

"Just be careful, kid." Kasey slowly nodded, and after a short pause, was released. After a brief moment of consideration, Kasey simply walked out through the door. "See you later." She murmured softly, making her way down the stairs as Bee leaned in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, watching her leave with an unsettled mind.

She just hoped Kasey would survive the night.

* * *

 

It seemed that Kasey's absence from basically every party in Mystic Falls since her conception, had, indeed, been noticed. It also seemed that no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, whenever she saw Elena, her heart would stat beating in her throat rather than in her chest. "Elena, look who's here!" Kasey inhaled sharply, taking her eyes off Elena for a split second as the Gilbert turned to look in the direction Bonnie was pointing.

"Kasey!" Caroline suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side, causing her to yelp. "Care-" She was immediately interrupted by Caroline's spew of dialogue. "Ohmigosh, I've never seen you in a dress before! Or at a party, even without a dress- hey, Ty!" Before Kasey could protest, or even respond to Caroline's statements in any way, Caroline tugged the shorter girl quickly over to Tyler Lockwood and Matt Donovan. Kasey avoided eye contact with both of them. Matt was nice enough, she supposed, but she and Tyler didn't get along very well- or, at least, she didn't get along with him.

"Wow. Finally come out to a party? I wonder when you're gonna come out of the closet." Tyler snorted, and Kasey shifted uncomfortably, sighing through her nostrils. "Maybe you could let me watch." Her gaze quickly traveled over to him and her jaw clenched as Caroline let out a laughing gasp. "Ty, you're such a pig! Besides, it doesn't matter to me if she's gay or not--"

"I'm not." Kasey snapped, looking over in the direction of Bonnie and Elena, who were now joined by Stefan. "Excuse me." She murmured, separating herself from Caroline, who, to Kasey's surprise, didn't try to drag her back automatically. Kasey lingered near the three of them, but didn't approach them outright. She studied Stefan.

She'd heard many things about him over the past couple of days, obviously. He was a Gemini. His favorite color was blue. His name was passed down. He was a military kid who moved around a lot in his childhood. And, last and most conveniently, nobody in town could seem to remember him ever being here, or even his parents even living here when he was born. He was rather quiet and cautious, by the looks of it. He almost caught her gaze twice. She had no idea how he could walk in the sun, but everything else was too much of a coincidence to completely throw this case away.

Perhaps the most compelling evidence, in her opinion, was him showing up to a party packed with drunk and hormonal teenagers pulsing with energy for him to drain them of. She seethed the longer she thought about what he would do if he got Elena alone. Was she just a blood bag to him? Just a sad orphan girl he could take without anyone noticing? In any case, he was wrong. She would make sure he knew that by the end of this.

Eventually, she watched as Bonnie separated from Stefan and Elena, and Kasey decided to join her. Like Matt, she only watched them when they weren't looking, between sips of beer from plastic cups.

"Are you pining for Stefan?" Bonnie teased, and Kasey looked at her, her brow furrowed. "No." There was a beat of silence before Bonnie's fading awkward grin came back. "What about Elena?"

"No." Kasey repeated automatically, averting her eyes and running her tongue over her lips. She didn't usually act like this around friends, but she was so focused on the mission and her own anger that her facade was beginning to chip away with any further social interaction.

"I'm just kidding." Bonnie smiled half-heartedly, gently tapping Kasey on the shoulder with her fist. "Oh." Kasey grunted emotionlessly in reply. She fixed her attention on Stefan once again as Bonnie sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. Kasey shivered slightly and wrapped one arm around her stomach. It was only just the end of summer, but it seemed to be getting colder quickly, colder than last year. Then again, she was outside, at night, wearing a short dress in the middle of the woods.

"Hey, are you okay? You just seem . . . Off." Bonnie gently touched her shoulder, and her own eyes lazily traveled back to Bonnie's green ones. Bonnie was both heartfelt without ridiculous sensitivity and lively without obnoxiousness. In all honesty, she was probably Kasey's best friend, though she was probably not Bonnie's. Looking into her eyes, it was calming. She wished she didn't have to blatantly lie to her friends outside her family. She wished she could tell them, maybe so they could look out for themselves, so they wouldn't be hurt- she didn't understand why everything about the Mystic Falls vampires had to be secret. But at the same time, paranoia reminded her why. Bonnie, Elena, Caroline, all the kids of Mystic Falls- that's all they were. Kids. They didn't deserve to be subjected to this.

"I'm fine," Kasey paused, taking another sip of beer and absentmindedly smacking her lips, taking in the taste. "Just a little tired. Sorry for worrying you, Bon." Bonnie chewed her lip a little before giving Kasey a reassuring smile and going to talk to Matt, and hopefully distract him from Elena-angsting.

She saw someone in her peripheral vision walk up and she wiped her chin dry, shifting slightly as she stood. "Hi," he spoke, and she looked over a little too quickly, and almost froze on the spot, the hairs on the back of her neck rising up as she looked over at him for too long. He looked about her age, maybe a little bit older, but still youthful with a boyish smirk. He had startling blue eyes with a capricious, maybe even malevolent gleam in them. His hair was black and messy, and like her, he was wearing a leather jacket and mostly black. He looked like he could blend into the shadows, disappear at any second but you would still feel his gaze. It took her a few moments to realize what he said.

"Hi," she replied, the steadiness in her voice wavering when he seemed to move a fraction closer. Yes, he was attractive, but there was something so familiar, so unsettling, that it made her feel less like she was talking to a supermodel, and more like she was face-to-face with a hungry mountain lion. She blinked, long and hard, and when she opened her eyes again, he was gone, and her heart was hammering because she could still see his electric blue stare every time her eyes closed. "Did anyone . . . ? Who was . . . ?" She looked over at Matt and Bonnie, both of whom look puzzled. "What?" Matt stared at her, and she tried to avoid meeting his gaze as Bonnie shifted.

"Maybe you should sit down. You've had a lot to drink." Bonnie told her, concerned, and Kasey shook her head. "No, I'm fine . . . I just . . . Never mind." Her mind slightly hazed, she looked around for a brief moment before deciding to just focus on Stefan again instead. There was no point in ingesting over some boy who appeared for one second and was gone the next. Personally, Kasey didn't find any use in angsting over other people in general. Maybe that was just because she had more to do when it came to saving humanity.

However, when Kasey turned back to the couple, a huge crow swooped dangerously close to her face and caused her to spill beer on her dress, swearing up a storm as it flew away, and whipping around to see where it had gone. Her brow furrowed when she saw a dark silhouette by the treeline, but the second she caught sight of the man, he disappeared.

"Kasey, are you okay?" Bonnie's voice came to Kasey through a cloud of thoughts swarming her mind as her eyes widened in sudden realization, narrowing again in anger when she turned back to see Elena standing by herself and Stefan heading into the woods. "That crow was huge, did you see that? Kasey!" But it was too late for Bonnie to call out for her, because she had already taken off running after the Salvatore. Call her paranoid, but she was a hundred percent sure that the crow was a diversion. Another thing she was sure of? Stefan wasn't alone.

She couldn't even think in her rage to call Beatrice for back-up, instead plunging into the dark, nearly tripping over tree roots trying to find him. He had already somehow disappeared from her sight, but she refused to give up.

She tripped over at least three tree roots before she discovered a trail of footprints. She used the tree trunks for balance as she walked through the dark, eyes widened to try to see the footprints. Fog began to curl around her ankles in her search and she pulled her stake out of her sleeve.

That was when she finally spotted Stefan, holding a dead squirrel in his hands, when he looked up at the sound of a leaf crunching. Of course, she thought. It's only August, but when there's a single crunchy leaf in Mystic Falls, I have to step on it and ruin my stealth in front of someone who could kill me in less than a second. However, his reaction was not as expected. He dropped the squirrel but stayed put.

"Why do you keep following me?" He exclaimed quietly, eyes wide. He seemed more frightened and startled than agitated, though. His gaze quickly traveled to the stake and understanding dawned in his eyes. "What were you doing holding a dead squirrel?" She whispered back angrily, trying to keep her voice low in case anyone else was around. His brow furrowed. "I just found it." Lying. Why would he bother lying? "Here's a tip, don't pick up dead rodents! What are you even doing here?"

"Why are you following me?" He repeated. "You're suspicious!" Stefan still seemed on edge, but he wasn't making any move to kill her. Why? Why was he even hesitating? Of course, she didn't want him to kill her, but it seemed that either he was underestimating his strength, or . . .

Before he could reply, they both heard a yell. "Somebody help!" They both immediately recognized the voice as Elena's and looked at each other. His expression had morphed to horror, almost guilt. And then they ran.

"She's losing a lot of blood!" Kasey's heart dropped when she saw Vicki Donovan's body, with a gaping and bleeding wound on the side of her neck. She turned over to look at Stefan as the shouting continued, only to see he had disappeared again. She didn't waste a moment to start walking home, mulling things over in her mind.

She didn't doubt the strength and speed of a vampire, yet when she was completely vulnerable, following him into the dark woods with no one around like an idiot, he hadn't attacked her. She wasn't sure he even thought of it. Even to cover his own tracks. He saw her, and she saw him. So, why was she still alive?

Bee was standing on the porch when she got back. She was standing rigidly, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression stoic. Only her eyes showed any emotion. The second their gazes met, Kasey knew what she was dying to ask. She didn't know what to say.

"He's human. It's someone else." Bee's shoulders relaxed slightly and she sighed through her nostrils. "We should tell Anastasia." She replied, opening the front door and stepping back inside. "Yeah." Kasey replied hollowly, her expression as blank as she could make it as she entered the house, taking off her jacket.

She didn't know what to say, and so she lied.


	3. Comets & Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x02. "Night of the Comet"

Kasey wasn't able to get any sleep after Vicki was attacked. Not because she was afraid of what attacked her, but rather because she still had no idea who it was, and had no idea why she had lied to her sister. Furthermore, she had no idea why she was still alive, or that Stefan Salvatore was. That moment in the forest should've ended with one of them on the ground, to be found by the Council, yet she protected him. Why?  
She could not figure out the answer to that question herself.  
She was sitting in an otherwise unoccupied booth at the Grill when she saw Stefan walk in, and it seemed that their eyes met immediately. She stopped stirring the ice water in her glass, dropping her straw and picking up her bag as she headed to the bathroom. She didn't know what he was here for, but she assumed she would not like it, and thus did not want to find out. It was odd, how just last night she was the one tracking him down, and now, it was him who was so eager to get a hold of her. The bathroom door locked behind her, and when she turned, there he was, leaning against the wall beside it. Not blocking it, she noticed.   
"This is the girl's bathroom, y'know." She spoke coolly. He remained stoic as she clenched her jaw. "What do you want?" She inquired. Somehow, she did not find herself to be afraid of him. This was the second time in twenty-four hours that she found herself alone with him, allowing herself to be easily killed, and yet he did nothing. And she was unafraid. It was almost unnerving, even to herself.  
"Who are you?" He asked, and she immediately shot back, "Who are you?" There seemed to be a staring contest going on between them, but Kasey's harsh gaze was met with something gentler in nature- simply curious, maybe even a little intimidated. He didn't seem like he wanted to hurt her, at the very least. She wasn't sure that made her feel any better, though. However, behind this curiosity was a sense of urgency. He wouldn't be here if he didn't have to be.   
"I think you know who I am." He replied after a moment's deliberation, and Kasey sighed through her nostrils, casting her gaze to the side. "Stefan Salvatore. That's not just a passed-down name, is it?" She looked back at him, crossing her arms over her chest. He did the same, tilting his head slightly. "No." He answered shortly, and just the simple confirmation made her heart skip. A vampire. A real one. Of course, she already knew, but it was still somewhat surreal . . .   
"I'm Kasey," she paused, taking a moment to think about the odd situation she had gotten into. What was she doing, just standing there and talking to some hundred-year-old vampire like it was the most normal thing in the world? This wasn't what she was supposed to do if she ever came across one of them. She was supposed to protect the town, she was supposed to kill . . . Yet, somehow, after seeing a vampire in the flesh, it didn't feel right. "Hope." She finished, and she saw recognition in his eyes. "Like Elizabeth." He responded after a moment. She nodded absentmindedly. "Like Elizabeth."  
Elizabeth Hope, of course, was the first matriarch of the Hope family in Mystic Falls, after her late husband had been killed by a vampire and she had been forced to raise her children on her own, while also learning how to hunt and kill vampires, and teaching her children to do so as well. It would make sense that Stefan would remember her- she fit right into his story, from what Kasey remembered of that old tale. The Salvatore brothers had quite a reputation, especially in their hometown.   
"Why did you lie to the others?" He asked after a moment, and her heart jolted. Had he followed her home? Kasey narrowed her eyes at Stefan. "Who's been killing residents?" She replied sharply. His green eyes seemed to darken. "Answer my question." He spoke lowly. She almost scoffed. "Answer mine."  
"I can't tell you." He replied shortly, glancing at the wall, and she felt herself beginning to grow slowly frustrated, not only with him, but with herself. What was wrong with her? Why was she doing this? Why had she lied?   
"Tell me who it is. Now." She demanded, her eyes dark, but he didn't falter. "Or what?" It was almost a threat, and she was almost considering leaving, but she didn't want to throw away the only lead she had so far. She knew she was rather rusty when it came to diplomacy, but she had to try.   
"I just want to stop people from getting killed in this damn town, Salvatore." Okay, so clearly her attempts to be diplomatic weren't working so well with her personality. "We're on the same side, then." However, it seemed he was willing to meet her halfway. "Then give me the information I need." She tried again, and he nodded. "All right, but I need my answers too." He bargained, and she felt her skin crawl. Everything about what she was doing was wrong- she felt like a corrupt cop, and she had no idea if she could really trust him. The only reason she was even staying in the room was because he hadn't killed her yet, and because she didn't particularly want to see what would happen if she left without her permission.  
She hated this, she hated feeling powerless. but if he had information, she had to get it. "I . . . I don't know why I lied. Okay? I don't know. but it's not like I'm going to go around telling people now . . ." She finished with a sullen expression, as his face got even harder for her to read.   
"If you're not going to tell anyone about the identities of the vampires here, why do you want to know?" He asked, shifting in his spot, and she narrowed her eyes. "Because . . . Because I'm supposed to know. And I'm supposed to protect this town. That's all I want." She answered, and a flicker of confusion was in his eyes.  
"Well, you can rest assured," he paused, "I'm trying to find a way to keep everyone safe." She raised an eyebrow, scoffing and gripping her arms tightly, digging her fingernails into her skin. "What, so you think you can keep me from going after him, whoever he is, by just saying you've got it handled?" He sighed through her nostrils.  
"He's too strong for you to take on." He answered shortly, and her eyes blazed in indignation. "I think I can judge that for myself, and I think if you were any match for him, he'd be gone already." She shot back, and he kicked off the wall and headed towards her, letting his arms swing at his sides for a moment before crossing them again.  
"Just stay out of it. I've got it covered." There was a warning in his eyes, and her heart skipped slightly in fear, but she was too angry to back down. This was her town, and she wasn't going to be treated like an insolent child while he went around doing whatever he pleased, while there was a killer on the loose. "Fine." She snapped, and without thinking, headed for the door, unlocked it, and stormed outside. It was only a couple minutes later that she noticed he didn't even try to stop her, but by that time, she was already on her way home, thinking of ways to get herself in on this plan.   
She knew she could talk to Zach, but based on Stefan's attitude towards humans getting involved in this case, she doubted he was being allowed to do anything about it either. Still, though, she had to try. Her phone began to ring in her pocket, and she immediately answered when she saw that it was Bee on the other end. The other girl was almost silent when Kasey picked up.   
"Hello--?" "There's been another one. Another killing. Get your ass home right now. We don't need you getting hurt, we really don't." Bee's voice shook out of fear, and Kasey's eyes seemed to glaze over upon hearing it. Another killing. Another life taken by some bloodsucker that Stefan, for whatever reason wanted to protect. She set her jaw and immediately decided she would come back to this later. She wouldn't stop until he got out of her way or worked with her.   
"Okay. I'm coming home soon." _And I'll be returning tonight._

* * *

Kasey wasn't one for studying stars, or science in general, but the comet was surely beautiful, there was no doubt about it. She wondered what it was like to live unaware of the supernatural dangers of the world. To be able to spend a night outside looking at a glowing ball flying through the sky, and not worry about getting your throat ripped open by some monster.

Thankfully, Kasey wasn't wearing a dress this time going out. She was perfectly comfortable in her fitted leather jacket and jeans. Caroline had, thoughtfully, grabbed her a candle, though there was no one around to light it, and so she wandered, keeping an eye out for Stefan. She had to change his mind. She had to do something to convince him that whoever this vampire happened to be, no matter how powerful they were, she could probably take them. She had to make him understand that, no matter how hard he pushed her away, she was going to come back anyways. This was her town, her responsibility, and he wasn't going to sideline her in favor of one of his old murderous pals. She wouldn't let him.  
While she was distracted by her own thoughts, she noticed someone approaching her in her peripheral vision. As a hand reached out and lit her candle with his own, her eyes trailed slowly from his ring to his leather-clad arm, to his smile, to his brilliant blue eyes. It seemed then that everything seemed to click. "Damon Salvatore." She said slowly, recognition in her eyes. He almost looked flattered. He was toying with her.   
"Took you long enough, didn't it?" He leaned in very close after a moment, lips brushing her cheek, grabbing her arm before she could even think of running away. Her heart pounded. She kept a hold on her candle with her rigid hands. "If you tell anyone," He lowered his voice, "in your stupid little hunter clan that I've returned . . . I will kill you _all_." He leaned back after a moment, letting go of her and blowing out his candle. She blinked because of the smoke, and by the time she had opened her eyes again, he was gone, and she felt an icy chill spreading through her body.  
It took her a moment to process this, and immediately, she narrowed her eyes and blew her candle out, stalking off in the direction of where she last saw Elena to find Stefan as soon as possible. She wasn't going to be helpless. She wasn't going to allow this. It was time he realized that she was going to help him whether he wanted help or not.   
Soon enough, she spotted him, and she noticed Elena walking away from him. "Hey," she started, eyebrows furrowed as he looked up and automatically started to walk away. "No." He responded immediately, and she walked faster to catch up with him as he blew his candle off and discarded it properly. She followed suit, trying to catch up to him again.  
"What do you mean 'no'? I'm going to help, Stefan. I'm a hunter. I was trained for this!" She spoke, gradually getting louder despite her need to keep her voice down. Stefan didn't even look at her. "You can't, Kasey. Just stay out of it. I've got everything under control." He responded calmly, but she could tell she was pushing his buttons, judging on how harshly he shoved his hands in his pockets.  
"You've got jack shit under control!" She exploded, and the next thing she knew, she was shoved up against the wall in the alley next to the Grill, Stefan as far away from her as he could be, standing rigidly against the opposite wall. "Damon threatened my entire family, Stefan. I'm already in danger. You have to let me help, because I'm not going to just stand around doing nothing to save myself." She muttered, and he just closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry."   
"Don't be sorry, just _let me in_." Stefan looked away before meeting her gaze again steadily. "On my terms. We work together . . . On my terms." He replied softly, and though she didn't want to, she went along with it anyway. This won't last long, she told herself. Just long enough to take Damon down. "And what are your terms?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she kept her gaze level with his. "We don't kill him," he began, and she immediately raised her brow. "We capture him. We won't torture him, either. We just leave him out to dry until . . . he learns to behave." She clenched her jaw.   
"And what about when this is all over?" She pressed, and there was a long pause before he answered. "That's up to you." And in the next moment, he was walking away. It was then that, again, she noticed how odd he was, for a vampire. He fed on animals rather than humans, he could walk in the sunlight, and he wasn't exceedingly selfish and greedy, to the point of draining the whole town dry. In fact, he was rather warm-blooded. She had been told her entire life about horrifying demons of the night, greedy, terrifying creatures that did not care for any life. She learned about cold, heartless monsters masquerading as humans, acting only as parasites.   
She then tried to catch up with him as quickly as possible. "What are you doing?" He murmured, avoiding eye contact with her and continuing to move forward. "I'm trying to help. Just . . . let me assist you in making a plan, at least." She replied quietly, and he begrudgingly let her follow him as he began to walk home.   
"Hey," Matt called out as the two approached, his tone somber and his eyes worried. Kasey's brow furrowed. "Hey, what's up?" She replied as Stefan watched the interaction silently. "Have you seen my sister?" He asked urgently. Stefan shook his head. "No, sorry."   
"I can't find her, she's missing." She noticed Matt giving them both a strange look, but she shook it off soon enough. "We'll keep an eye out for her. I hope you find her soon, Matt." She replied, and Matt looked as though he had much more to say, but he decided not to say it for whatever reason. As he considered telling him to spit it out, Stefan began to walk away.  
"Excuse me." He mumbled, and Kasey furrowed her brow and walked after him. "Stefan? Stef-" It was exactly then that she followed his gaze, and anger and fear surged through her. "Stefan!" She  whispered, but it was too late-night he had already jumped up to the roof and left her in the dust. She didn't waste a moment chasing after him, immediately going to the back door and swinging it open with a loud bang.   
Damon was up there, she remembered. Damon and Vicki . . . And he could always just throw her off. She came up the stairs slowly, as quietly as she possibly could. She could hear Vicki sob and scream and she gritted her teeth, keeping her hand on her jacket pocket, using the stake within it as a comfort. She knew she couldn't kill Damon, but that didn't mean she couldn't give him the worst splinter of his miserable life.   
As she reached the door, she began to catch snippets, small pieces of what was said. "That's what this is about? You want to expose me?" She heard Stefan easily, even over the sound of Vicki's sobs and whimpers. She was itching to come out, but she couldn't risk it . . .   
"No!" Damon growled irritably, "I want you to remember who you are!" Kasey caught a whiff of something extremely worrying- blood. If Vicki was stuck up there long enough with two vampires, probably bleeding from the neck . . .  
She came out from the staircase before she could stop herself. Damon's eyes flashed with irritation and a hint of amusement, but she did not look away from him for even a second as she inched towards Vicki. Stefan seemed to ignore her presence entirely, possibly to draw attention away from her. Even if that was what he was trying, it wasn't working. Damon was watching her like a hawk.   
"Why? So what, so I'll kill?" Stefan's voice raised as Damon's gaze flickered between the two of them. "So I'll remember what it's like to be brothers again?" His voice lowered dangerously as Kasey gently touched Vicki's shoulder. The girl looked at her fearfully, eyes wide and tearful. "You know what? Let her go. Let her tell everyone that _vampires_ have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of you." He finished lowly, and Damon seemed almost playfully disappointed, and he reached for Vicki, chuckling to himself in disbelief as Kasey tried to stop him from grabbing her.   
"Tell your guard dog to back down, Stefan." He snapped, a light chuckle escaping him as Stefan grabbed her arm. "He won't hurt her." He murmured, and Kasey was having a hard time believing that as she reluctantly let Vicki go into Damon's arms. "It's not like I'd . . . Kill her, after all." He snickered, giving her a wink before leaning in to whisper in Vicki's ear. However, sure enough, when Damon pulled away, Vicki was unharmed.   
"What happened? Where am I?" She asked in a tear-choked voice before gasping quietly in pain. "Gah, I ripped my stitches out." She groaned, and Kasey kept eye contact with Damon. "You okay?" Stefan asked, and she simply grinned. "I took some pills, man. I'm good."   
"You should go find your brother, Vick. He's looking for you." Kasey spoke mildly, and Vicki sighed before wandering over to the stairwell and making her way back down. As soon as she was out of earshot, Damon smirked, his eyes narrowed.   
"I find it funny that you're stupid enough to walk up to me after I told you what happens to people who mess with me." He spoke to her, his head tilting and his eyes glittering like a crow's. "Damon," Stefan stated at him, sending him a warning that Damon only seemed to ignore.   
"No, let him talk." Kasey's heart pounded in her chest like a drum, blood rushing in her ears, but she kept going. "I'm not scared of you." Her eyes bored into his, and before she could blink, he was directly in front of her, barely an inch of space between them, and the feeling was completely overwhelming. Stefan was beside them in an instant, jaw clenched, stiff as a board and tense as he watched them.   
"You're lying." Damon's crooked smile only grew in satisfaction, and another rush of anger surged through her veins faster than blood. "I'm not going to back down every time you bare your teeth, Salvatore. Get used to it." This time, it was him who was angered by her words. "Oh, I count on it," Damon replied in an acidic tone, and Kasey was yanked back before it could escalate, and her green eyes met Stefan's.   
"Go make sure Vicki finds her brother. Please." Heartbeat still racing, she begrudgingly pulled herself away and headed for the stairwell, looking back one last time to see the haunting faces of men who should have died a long time ago. She did not get a bit of sleep that night.


End file.
